Re: Simple DC starter stuff

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Simple DC starter stuff
From: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net>
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 1996 07:54:24 +0000
At 06:19 AM 11/16/96 +0000, you wrote:
>From gchristo-at-clt.mindspring-dot-comFri Nov 15 22:41:15 1996
>Date: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 14:12:00 +0000
>From: Chris Gardner <gchristo-at-clt.mindspring-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Simple DC starter stuff
>
>Im really new at this stuff, woefully ignorant of the technical level
>that you guys pursue, but very curious......   (like george)
>
>Anyway, I built a coil in highschool that my grandfather helped me
>design. The primary parts were as follows;
>	6v lantern battery
>	Plate glass and Aluminum foil Capacitor
>	6v ignition coil (mabye 12)  Auto
>	6v buzzer
>	simple spark gap
>
> And the coil wrapped around 2.5 inch pvc,secondary wound of 30 guage
>silver plated vinyl insulated wire, with the primary, 12 guage single
>strand, wrapped right around the secondary on the same form. (from all
>my reading and reasearch lately Ive begun to gather that was not optimal
>(overcoupled?))
>The buzzer was rigged to provide intermitant contact at the buzzing
>frequency, (sort of like a rotary?) but I think that it was before the
>ignition coil in the circuit, actually Im sure it was.
>This would make more sense anyway.
>
>It was alot of fun, and the spark from the small ball bearing on the
>top, approx 3/4 of an inch, was fairly harmless. 
> 
>All I have left of this is the orriginal coil. I would really like to
>re-assemble this design, my grandfather passed away last year, he helped
>me build this off the top of his head, and I think I am only now really
>starting to appreciate how much he knew.
>
>Any help which you gentlemen could offer would be greatly appreciated.
>
-------------------------------------

Chris -

Your coil sounds similar to the 12 VDC coil I show in the Tesla Coil
Construction Guide. Many of these coils have been made. They give about a
one inch spark. They also have been used as a plasma globe supply using a 4
inch clear spherical decorative lamp. The Guide shows other size coils and a
lot of Tesla coil information. 

If you send me your snail mail address I will send you a flyer.

Jack C.